Tag: twitter

Social Media is an excellent way to build your list. In fact, just by participating in those popular sites, you are building a list of sorts. On Facebook, they are called friends, on Twitter they are your followers etc. Now your goal is to move as many of them as possible into your list of email subscribers as well.

Start with whatever social media accounts you already have a presence in. I’ll quickly walk you through the two big ones (Facebook and Twitter) and then talk a bit about niche specific social media sites. Of course, all of these tips and suggestions work just as well on other social media sites.

Facebook

Facebook is great for list building. It’s easy to connect and make friends with other people interested in similar things. From there you want to start a conversation with those people. Share quick tips and ideas, ask questions etc.

A simple, indirect way to build your list on Facebook is to occasionally link to a new blog post you’ve written. Provided you have a signup box on every page of your blog, you’ll start to see signups each time you do this.

You can also post your opt-in page link directly and ask people to join. I find this works best if I have some sort of “goodie” to give them. A short report, a small collection of recipes, or a special coupon code all work well. My Facebook friends can get this goody sent to their email inbox if they sign up for my list.

Twitter

Again, start with your profile. If you have an opt-in page set up, use that link in your twitter profile and encourage readers to click through to sign up for your list. From there you can start occasionally promoting your opt-in form from within your tweets.

For example, if you publish a weekly newsletter, let your readers know that you’re working on putting this week’s edition together. Tweet your progress, including a link where anyone can sign up to get a free copy.

Niche specific sites

Depending on what niche you’re in, you’ll also be able to find specific social media sites on these topics. For example, Etsy and Ravelry are two big social media sites in the crafting niche. Search around and find similar sites for your own niche. A great place to start looking for these is on popular forums. People will often talk about these sites and of course, you can also post a question asking what sites you should check out.

Once you find one or two niche specific social media sites, sign up for an account, fill out your profile information and start participating. I recommend establishing a bit of a presence before you start posting links to your blog or asking people to join your list. Instead be helpful, ask questions and make friends. After a few days of doing that, you can slip in the occasional link back to your site and mention your newsletter.

When it comes to building your brand, your website is one of your most powerful tools. Contact Dr. John Elcik at identityXperts to handle all of your web design needs. We can be reached by phone, at (239) 400-0622, or email: [email protected]